Do you go abroad every year for a holiday?

[Cloud44]

Ive not been abroad since Covid, before that we used to go on holiday in Europe most yea, but now it feels like a faff and im not a fan of flying anymore but i cant help feeling im missing out. Does anyone else mostly have breaks within the UK?

Yes we only holiday in the UK. I haven't been abroad since 2012 and I've never been abroad with my husband or children. We do plan to go at some point but it won't be every year. I didn't grow up going abroad every year or even a holiday every year. It's still a real luxury to me.

There is so much to explore in the UK and trains or driving/ferries can all be good options too.

No. Not been abroad since 2005.
Only went abroad every 3-4 years before children.

We do two long haul holidays a year but are retired. We follow the sun. We also have one UK holiday a year to the same place to see family.

Realistically, most families can't afford to holiday in most of those places though. Their comparison is a UK holiday Vs a package to Spain or similar or a Euro camp style holiday in France. It is different, but not as different as your examples.

Pre children I holidayed abroad every year. Only holidays in the uk until they were late primary/secondary age. Now I have been a few years in a row. But next year I intend to holiday in the uk again. One dc doesn’t like flying. But variation is good I think. Plus there are some parts of the uk I want to visit where we haven’t been yet.

We didn't take DDs abroad at all until they were 7 as the faff of airports etc with babies or very small children did not appeal to me in the slightest. For their first trip abroad we did a cruise, sailing out of the UK and we loved it. Much easier than boarding a plane and then once you're on the ship your holiday has begun.

We've since had a couple of holidays abroad but cruise, ferry or driving. We're planning a holiday to Greece for in a few years' time so they'll be secondary school age before they get on a plane.

I actually love holidaying in the UK so the years when we've stayed in this country have been great too. There are so many fabulous places to see.

We go every year. Usually once a year on a proper holiday, plus once or twice to visit family abroad.

Pre kids we liked to go long haul but we haven't been out of Europe since my oldest was born. I hope to start going further away again when they are a bit older.

Due to young kids and covid etc.

I had only been abroad every 3-4 years.

But now kids are a bit older try and go abroad at least once a year.

Yes we do a mixture. Usually 1 abroad holiday a year and then one in the UK.

Yes, I do go abroad at least once every year. I'm in my 50s and the last time I didn't leave the country at some point would have been some time in late teens/early 20s, if that (I can't remember some years clearly!). I even got away in 2020 and 2021. I love visiting new places. We are trying to do more by train or car (EV) but still fly too I'm afraid.

Haven't been abroad since the 1980's and don't miss it at all.
Don't take holidays either, just have a couple of nights away in the MoHo (do this regularly).

That's not to say that we can't enjoy trips in the UK too, but at the moment it tends to be shorter breaks. It's been quite a long time since we've done a whole week (we did that occasoinally when the kids were little, but tbh it wasn't always a great success!). I'd like to do more exploring in the UK now the children have gone (especially Scotland, Ireland) and hope I will do in the future, but there's only so much time! Maybe when we are working less.

The thought of airports put me off a bit and last time we went abroad short haul from the UK we spent more time in the queue for passport control than on the actual plane. Then you have another hour or so to the resort.
I used to like travel , but it’s been made into another money making exercise by airports and holiday companies and you need deep pockets for any kind of break these days whatever you do. AI is good value at a lot of hotels, but that has been cut back over the years too and I’m sure it’ll become a thing of the past in ten years time as well , or only for the more expensive places.

We do now. We had years in the past ie jobs at risk, new puppy, elderly parents, when we didn’t. Must admit I don’t see flying abroad as a hassle. I guess it helps that we don’t go in school breaks and are a 45 min taxi ride to the airport. I find travelling within the UK with busy motorways etc more of a hassle, although we do have UK breaks too.

Went away to the Dominican in 2007, but didn't go again until 2024 so the kids had their first abroad holiday at ages 15, 13 and 11.

We then went away this year without the kids, and have booked next year with the kids.

At the time, I was sad we couldn't afford to take the kids abroad lots but now we've traveled with older kids I couldn't imagine the stress of travelling with younger kids. Sitting and hearing kids crying on a plane makes me so glad its not us dealing with it.

We did lots of UK caravan holidays instead, just 3 night breaks and it was excellent.

Yes, a holiday in the UK is not a holiday for me. Either fly or drive. I'm driving this year for our main family holiday, but have already been abroad for a long weekend and flew.

Yes, we aim to go abroad three times a year and have weekend breaks in the UK.

Assuming most people advocating for Eurostar or ferry live in the south of England, or just enjoy driving miles on the motorway. Not my idea of fun.

We normally do, this year we are not and doing a few uk short breaks. This is due to our living costs increasing, wages decreasing and the cost of holidays increasing.

Yes. The world is vast and beautiful and ugly and cruel. I feel a duty to expose my children to it, as my parents did. It’s important that they know their place, and to see themselves in context.

Yes i do - I need heat sorry, live in Ireland and we unfortunately dont get the warm summers every where else gets - had a few sunny days last week with nice high temperatures- it put everyone is such good mood. I have long term chronic pain and heat really helps me be pain free
Aswell we live on a farm and if we stay at home we don't get a proper break as always something to be done, if we go abroad we properly relax and feel like we have had a break

I do travel three or more times a year, but I often think that it's the THOUGHT of going and the research etc. that can be more enjoyable in the end! But still, retired now and have the money and the time.

The two of us go in May and December and I go on my own in Sept/Oct somewhere I am interested in.

I have to say that being away for three or more weeks over Christmas/NY is what I look forward to all year! Great to be away in a warmer climate where there's no Christmas crappy pressure etc. That's one thing I hope I can do for as long as possible. I'd ditch the rest of my travels if I had to in order to keep that one!

Enjoy all your breaks/holidays.

Yes three or four times a year with the odd U.K. weekend thrown in. I like the nice weather and if it was guaranteed in the U.K. I’d be happier to stay here but it’s not so in order to keep my internal solar panels topped up I follow the sun to various places throughout the year.

Stats show about half of brits travel abroad in any given year (52%)

We live in the north of Scotland. You can get to Holland by overnight ferry from both Newcastle and Hull and it’s not long from there to France and Germany. Even going Eurostar or one of the ferries to France from Plymouth/Portsmouth isn’t that bad, we just do a few hours, stop for dinner, a bit more driving, stay overnight at a motorway hotel, and then get to France next day. I find it much less stressful and much more freedom than flying, but we all quite like a road trip!